Statistics show schools are near bottom in aid
Published on January 20th, 1999
STONEHAM, MA - According to all who have seen the numbers, Stoneham is getting the short end of the stick. The main objective now is to prove this fact to the state before serious damage is done.
The Finance and Advisory Board presented some compelling numbers to the Board of Selectmen, School Committee, school administration, State Representative Michael Festa and others in attendance for the selectmen's meeting on Tuesday night and the message was clear: the town must do every thing in its power to correct the state's Education Reform funding formula which has left the Stoneham school system in dire straits.
The "perpetuation of inequity"
"I feel that Ed Reform has misjudged Stoneham," John Warren of the Finance and Advisory Board told the gathering. "It's made a mistake. It's time for Stoneham to speak up."
Over the past months, Warren and the Finance Board has poured over nearly 40 pages of legislative criteria which details the way in which Ed Reform (Chapter 70) money is dispersed among municipalities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Instituted in Fiscal Year 1994, the formula was intended to bring equality of education to poorer cities and towns. The seven year plan dispersed state funding to all towns and cities and based its formula of funding on many factors.
Somewhere in that formula, Stoneham was lost, Warren explained, forcing the town to rely heavily on its local tax base and causing a cumulative fiasco on both the municipal and edu- cational sides of each fiscal year's budget since Ed Reform's inception.
School Committee Chairman Steven Gucciardi deemed this "a perpetuation of inequity".
Warren estimated that the town has lost out on approximately $6 million during that span and, when compared to funding granted by the state to towns like Wakefield, Reading and Melrose, over $1 million last year alone.
"In Stoneham, we're getting very good value," Gucciardi told the audience, citing the recent MCAS scores and accommodations from national publications. "It's important to understand what outsiders are saying about our school system. We, as a town as far as education delivery, refuse to fall behind. Our programs are showing above and beyond what they should be showing.
"But we, as a system, are beginning to hurt. There's only so much we can do as far as the financial standpoint that we are in."
Statistics from the Massachusetts Department of Education were shown to the group and detailed by Warren. In the numbers, it was made clear that, while the percentage of state funding was increased in each of the six years under the new Chapter 70 funding criteria, Stoneham was falling far behind towns such as Wakefield, Melrose, Reading and others bordering Route 128.
"Among 128 towns, you'll see that Stoneham and only Stoneham gets punished," he stated.
Warren said another obvious example of the state's mistake can be seen when comparing 19 area communities (see display on page 16).
While poorer communities like Malden ($2,931 per student from state) and Medford ($1,767), understandably, get more funding than richer ones like Winchester ($705) and North Read-ing ($781), Stoneham gets less per pupil than all of the communities at $641 except Lexington which receives the same per pupil stipend.
The extras
In addition to this injustice, Warren explained, is the fact that many towns received above and beyond the usual state aid through Overburden Aid and Foundation Reserve Awards, otherwise known as "pothole money."
While Stoneham has attempted to get its piece of the pie in terms of Overburden Aid and has failed, receiving none in the past six years, Reading received $477,000 and North Reading $472,000 in Fiscal Year 1999 alone. While Stoneham has failed to get approval for Foundation Reserve Awards despite the fact of several emergencies such as the North School oil leak, flood at the Middle School Music Room and broken water main at the Central School, eight surrounding towns have been awarded these funds. The most glaring example of inequity in the state formula, Warren offered, can be seen in Woburn where the city received $165,000 in FY97, $100,000 in FY98 and $75,000 in FY99.
Instead of continuously giving these towns over and above what is allocated each year in Chapter 70 funding, he speculated, the state should wean towns off these types of funding and pour the money back into the state-wide Ed Reform allocation.
"The towns that you see here are being addicted to Overburden Aid," he told the selectmen.
A need for additional funding
Gucciardi explained that the School Department is in a precarious position.
Aside for the budgetary cuts in the past year which included severe lay-offs to the custodial staff and other maintenance areas, there are very real needs in technology, world language, school nursing and teaching assistant staff.
Also, as another part of Education Reform, all state municipalities are expected to come into compliance with state frameworks. Stoneham still has a long way to go, he explained, and these changes cost major amounts of money, mainly due to a need for new textbooks.
In four short years, students will be required to pass the MCAS exam in order to graduate from High School. Without these textbooks, students stand little chance of passing and Stoneham could set itself up for future lawsuits filed by their parents, Gucciardi said.
"That million dollars extra (per year) would certainly go a long way. We need to make sure Stoneham... is treated fairly. With the money we're getting, we're delivering a quality education, but we're falling behind," he said.
"We want a formula that works for Stoneham. We're no wealthier than Melrose. We're no wealthier than Wakefield. We're no wealthier than Reading. Why aren't we getting equal funding?"
The plan
All in attendance were in agreement that now is the time to counteract the continuing shortfall and lobby for Stoneham to be kept in mind when the new Chapter 70 funding formula is decided upon for FY00.
"It really is important for everyone to appeal for something to be done," Warren said. "This is not just a school issue."
Board Chairman Albert Conti agreed, stating, "This is a town problem. I frankly never thought the magnitude was this big. This is huge.
"We just want to get the money. I don't care what it's called, let's just get it."
Festa addressed the gathering and assures that he would fight for the town in this regard.
"Ultimately, I think the question is, 'Have you made your case?' And I think the answer is, without a doubt, yes," he offered.
The representative explained that the wheels are already in motion. Festa, along with State Representative Paul Casey and State Senator Richard Tisei, is scheduled to meet with the commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Education next week to discuss this very issue. In the meantime, Festa vowed to seek out aid to tide the town over while it waits for the new formula to take effect in FY00.
"The timing is perfect," Festa explained. "If there is any chance to do something, the time is now."
The Board of Selectmen will be updated on the progress of the counteractive talks at its February 9 meeting. Festa, Casey and Tisei have been invited to attend.
According to Conti, "This is a priority item. I can't think of anything more important than this. We've got to focus on this thing and get it resolved."
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